Welcome Days UC Leuven | UCLL

Welcome to Leuven

Preparatory Days 2025

Welcome Days 2025

  • 15-19 September. For whom: all students enrolled in English-taught programmes (degree, exchange and short courses). 
  • The final schedule of activities for 15-19 September will be available on this webpage closer to the event. In the meantime, you can have a look at this preliminary programme to have an idea what welcome days at UCLL look like.

When travelling to Campus Proximus for the first time, students can buy a bus ticket by using their bank card or credit card on the bus, or by downloading the De Lijn app in advance and buying a cheaper 10-journey ticket there.

We strongly recommend all students to arrive in Leuven at the beginning of September to settle down with no rush. Need a short term stay option till the date your rental contract starts? Check here (book far in advance).

Good to know before you arrive

Check this presentation to get valuable tips before you arrive to Leuven.

Welcome Days September 2025

Registration for the Welcome Days is compulsory. Participants need to complete this registration form no later than Sunday, 7 September (midnight).

Please note that the below programme is tentative. For now, it is important to note that you must be present from 15 to 19 September.

Monday, 15 September

  • 09:00 - 11:00 Breakfast at Pangaea by ESN Leuven. Cost: € 4 (pre-registration required; amount to be paid on the spot in cash or by card).
  • 11:30 - 12:30 Free healthy snacks at Campus Proximus, room D070 (bus 4, 15, 43, 609, bus stop Haasrode UCLL in Interleuvenlaan). Check-in.
  • 12:30 - 12:45 Welcome by UCLL management at Campus Proximus, room D080. 
  • 12:45 - 13:45 Dutch crash course at Campus Proximus, room D080.
  • 13:45 - 14:00 Break with fun activities and photo wall at Campus Proximus, room D070.
  • 14:00 - 16:00 Welcome Days kick-off at Campus Proximus, room D080. You will receive first-hand tips about living in Leuven, you will find out all about UCLL's student services, you will meet your classmates, and much, much more ...
  • 16:00 - 17:00 Reception with Belgian fries at Campus Proximus, room D070.
  • 17:30 - 18:30 ESN Social Run by ESN Leuven. Join for a fun group run through the city of Leuven. Open to all levels of runners, so do not worry about not being able to keep up. Meeting point: Pangaea. No registration required. 
  • 20:00 - 22:00 Social evening by UCLL student union Insignia at Downtown Jack.
  • 20:30 - 22:30 Belgian night with quiz at four different locations in Leuven by ESN Leuven and LOKO International. Register here.

Tuesday, 16 September

  • 9:30 - 10:00 Arrival on Campus Proximus, block C. Check-in.
  • 10:00 - 13:30 Info fair at Campus Proximus, Atrium and rooms C101-110. You will meet important actors of the city of Leuven who will provide you with some helpful practicalities: health insurance company CM, people from the city hall of Leuven, and our super friendly student police officers. You will also meet our ICT team (digital environment of UCLL, intranet, student account, etc.), the Admissions and Registration teams, and the student union Insignia. 
  • 15:15 - 17:15 Student Stuff Market by LOKO International. Location: student restaurant Alma 2 (next to Pangaea).
  • 20:30 - 23:30 Clay & chat café at Pangaea by LOKO International.
  • 20:30 - 00:30 Pub crawl by ESN Leuven. Register here. Signing up does not guarantee a place. Participants need to pick up a wrist band.

Wednesday, 17 September

  • 10:00 - 12:00 City tour by UCLL student union Insignia. Meeting point: Martelarenplein (by the statue), Leuven.
  • 13:00- 14:30 Ticket sale for the International Party on Friday by LOKO International. Cost: to be decided. Location: KU Leuven Faculty of Social Sciences.
  • 14:30 - 17:30 Microbrewery tour. Cost: € 10.5 (pre-registration required; amount to be paid on campus prior to the event).
  • 20:00 - 21:00 Game night by UCLL student union Insignia. Meeting point: Grote Markt (by the historic Leuven town hall), Leuven.

Thursday, 18 September

  • 15:30 - 17:30 Guided bike tour by VELO. Cost: € 11.5 (pre-registration required; amount to be paid on campus prior to the event). Discover fun spots and learn tips and tricks for riding a bike in the student city of Leuven. Meeting point: Hollestraat 1, Leuven.
  • 21:00 Opening night STUK Arts Centre. Location: STUK Arts Centre. Cost (per day): € 8 (ticket with culture card), € 8 or 10 (early bird ticket), or € 12 (regular ticket). More information and tickets available here.

Friday, 19 September

  • 10:30 - 17:00 ESN Welcome Desk at Pangaea.
  • 17:30 - 18:30 ESN Social Run by ESN Leuven. Join for a fun group run through the city of Leuven. Open to all levels of runners, so do not worry about not being able to keep up. Meeting point: Pangaea. No registration required. 
  • 22:00 Famous International Party by LOKO International. Ticket sale: see the information above. Location: student restaurant Alma 2 (next to Pangaea).

Saturday, 20 September

  • 09:00 - 17:00 City trip to Ghent by UCLL student union Insignia. Meeting point: railway station, Leuven.
  • 20:00 - 23:00 City game by ESN Leuven. Register: here. Location: Details are shared via email upon registration.

Throughout the academic year, several activities are organised by Pangaea, ESN Leuven and LOKO International. More information is available on the ESN Leuven and LOKO International websites, but you may also want to follow @pangaea_kuleuven, @esnleuven and @lokointernational on Instagram. Please note that you may need to register in advance for activities by these organisations.

All exchange students have mandatory info sessions with the International Officers within their respective faculties:

  1. Faculty of Health [Nursing] at reception at Campus Gasthuisberg on Monday 22 September, 9:30 - 11:30
  2. Faculty of Management [Business and Law] in room D112 at Campus Proximus on Thursday 18 September, 9:30 - 12:00

  3. Faculty of Social Work at reception at Campus Sociale School on Monday 22 September, 10:00 - 12:00

  4. Faculty of Teacher Education in room A111/112 at Campus Hertogstraat on Monday 22 September, 10:00 - 13:00

  5. Faculty of Technology [Applied Computer Science] at reception at Campus Proximus on Thursday 18 September, 9:30 - 12:00

All degree students must attend the following info sessions with the Coordinators within their respective faculties:

  1. Bachelor International Business Management Marketing (in Belgium) at reception at Campus Proximus on Friday 19 September, 9:00 - 13:00

  2. Bachelor International Business Management Marketing (across Europe) at reception at Campus Proximus on Friday 19 September, 9:00 - 13:00

  3. Bachelor Applied Computer Science at reception at Campus Proximus on Tuesday 23 September, 9:00 - 16:00

  4. Advanced Bachelor Advanced Business Management at reception at Campus Hertogstraat on Monday 22 September, 10:00 - 12:00

  5. Advanced Bachelor Global Citizenship and Development at reception at Campus Sociale School on Monday 22 September, 9:30 - 12:00

  6. Postgraduate International Educating Class in room E111 at Campus Hertogstraat on Monday 22 September, 10:00 - 12:00 

Students are generally advised to bring their laptops to these sessions.

UCLL Welcome Days 2024 - 2025

Relive the highlights from our Welcome Days for academic year 2024–2025!

UCLL Welcome Days 2023 - 2024

Have a look at what previous editions of this event were like! So much fun around! Are you in for the September 2025 edition? 😉

Living in Leuven

If you want to get a headstart, we can recommend having a look at our Living in Leuven city guide for students on the Student Life webpage. It will answer most (if not all) questions you may have about student services, cost of living, transport, etc.

Also the Life at KU Leuven webpage provides useful information in a nutshell.

Housing
Fold open
Student services
Fold open
Health insurance
Fold open